Tamarind

The tropical fruit from the Tamarind tree, a species that is native to North Africa and Asia. Resembling a vegetable with its large brown pod containing small seeds and a brown pulp, the tamarind provides a acidic flavor somewhat like lemon juice, that enhances flavors when used as a seasoning for meat, chutney, curry dishes, and pickled fish. The sweet and sour flavored pulp is boiled and extracted from the pods to be added to sauces, desserts and preserves. The seeds are removed from the pulp, cooked and then ground into a meal. Tamarind is an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauces, and is used as a flavoring in many East Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. It is available in cans as a paste, in jars of concentrated pulp or as whole dried pods. Tamarind is also known as an Indian Date, Imli, ambilis, amli, tintiri, tintul, titri, teteli, and tamarindo.